Row over Rahul Gandhi at Somnath temple; Congress says register entry ‘fabricated’

Congress issued a clarification on the register entry in question.

Amid a new controversy over Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Somnath temple in poll-bound Gujarat, his party on Wednesday issued a clarification on the register entry in question. Sharing an image of a register entry, made by the Gandhi scion himself, on Twitter, the Congress claimed that the one being circulated widely is “fabricated”.

A tweet by the Congress party said, “Clarification: There is only one visitor's book at Somnath Temple that was signed by Congress VP Rahul Gandhi. Any other image being circulated is fabricated. Desperate times call for desperate measures?”

Clarification: There is only one visitor's book at Somnath Temple that was signed by Congress VP Rahul Gandhi. Any other image being circulated is fabricated.

Desperate times call for desperate measures? pic.twitter.com/KOokFOH83z — Congress (@INCIndia) November 29, 2017

The controversy over Rahul’s visit to Somnath temple erupted over a register entry reportedly made by his media coordinator Manoj Tyagi. When Rahul Gandhi visited the temple on Wednesday, the register entry was made in his name as he went inside the temple. The name of veteran Congress Ahmed Patel was also mentioned in the register.

Reports had said that the entry in the register was supposed to be made by non-Hindus visiting the temple in the Saurashtra area of Gujarat.

Reacting to the issue, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that "the BJP has problems with Rahul Gandhi visiting temples". "We request them to not misuse god's name for dirty politics," he added.

This comes on a day the Gandhi scion began his sixth visit to the state since the announcement of Assembly elections on October 24.

On Thursday, the second day of his Gujarat visit, Rahul is slated to start his day with a poll rally in Lathi. He is also likely to visit the cities of Dhasa, Gadhada, Barvala and Vallabhipur.

During his last visit to the state earlier in November, the Congress leader had offered prayers at the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar. He had also visited Ambaji temple during the visit.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had targeted the Congress leader over his visit to temples, saying he was doing so just to target Hindu votes.

Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel had said, "Why is Rahul Gandhi visiting temples only ahead of elections? People know their intention that they want to get votes through such gimmicks. They have no inclination for devotion as during Rahul Gandhi's earlier trips, he never visited any temple."

"We wish that Congress sheds its pseudo-secularism and respects mainstream Hindutva. But their gimmicks to get votes will not work in Gujarat," Patel added.

The Congress had also hit back at the BJP, saying people would teach the ruling party a lesson as it was opposing a visit to temple.

"Does anybody have a patent on devotion? They are opposing a visit to the temple. People of Gujarat will teach them a lesson," Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil said.

"Rahul Gandhiji has visited a Jain temple and gurudwaras apart from Hindu temples. We believe in secularism," he had said.

Gandhi had started his campaign in Gujarat with a visit to the renowned Dwarkadheesh temple in September.

The two-phase Gujarat elections will take place on 9 and 14 December, while counting of votes is scheduled for 18 December.